Although first place honours went to more experienced heads, the first Otago Chess Club tournament of the year drew attention to some of the younger club members' capabilities. Finishing just behind Hamish Gold and the writer in first place on 4½/6, 15 year old Patrick Dawson showed he is on a par with the club's best in scoring 4 points – the same score as club champion John Sutherland.
Playing in his first club event, new member Remi Ritchie (12) was paired against club President Alistair Newbould in the first round. Although the game eventually went with the older player, he was so impressed with Ritchie's play that he annotated the game for publication. So today's game features Remi Ritchie with the Black pieces against Alistair Newbould, who provided many of the comments.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 d5!?
An ancient counter-gambit to the Scotch game - black offers a pawn for open lines and an attack on White's king. 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. dxe5 Qxd1+ 6. Kxd1 Bf5!?
Immediate pressure on the e-pawn by way of the pin 6 ... Bg4 was the preferred choice of World Champion Emanual Lasker in 1893, but the text is a useful developing move and keeps White under pressure. 7. Be3 O-O-O+ 8. Nbd2 f6!
Black continues the theme of open lines and rapid development. 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. a3?! ---
Preventing 10 ... Nb4, but developing the white squared bishop would have been wiser, as the threat is not serious. 10. --- Ne4 11. Ke2? ---
Unpinning the knight this way costs a pawn.11 Bd3 was much better. 11. --- Nxd2 12. Nxd2 Bxc2 13. Rc1 Bd3+?!
A check for check's sake. Returning along the b1-h6 diagonal preserves Black's bishop, which is currently superior to its White counterpart. 14. Ke1 Bxf1 15. Rxf1 h6?!
Like White's 10th move this is designed to restrict the opponents play by preventing Bg5. However the theme of rapid development is being lost. Bg5 could have been prevented by15 ... Be7 developing the dark squared bishop immediately. 16. b4?! a6?!
Both sides miss the possibilty of 16... a5! breaking White's pawn structure and activating Black's bishop. 17. Ke2 Be7 18. Ne4 Rhe8 19. Nc5 Bxc5
The knight had a nice outpost on c5 and had eyes on e6, however Black was still in control of the game and this exchange is again in whites favour. 20. Rxc5 Ne5
The black knight is heading for d3, but 20 ... Nd4+! forces 21 Ke1 keeping the other white rook out of the game. White now brings the rook to c1 – safe from a knight fork due to the threat on c7. 21. Rfc1! c6 22. R5c3 Rd5 23. Kf1 Nd3 24. Rd1? Nb2??
Just when Black could have profited from his excellent play to this point he blunders a whole rook. Instead 24 ... Nxb4 wins a pawn outright thanks to the unprotected rook on d1. 25. Rxd5 Na4
Pinned pawns no longer support the piece they appear to protect. This is a very easy mistake to make and a sad way for this game to be resolved. 26. Rc2 Nb2 27. Bc1 Na4 28. Rd1 Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. Re2 Nc3 31. Rd2+ Kc7 32. Bb2 Ne4 33. Re2 Nf6 34. Re7+ Kd6 35. Rxg7 Ne8 36. Rg6+ Kd7
With the fall of the h pawn the remainder of the game was routine, White eventually exchanging his rook for the knight leaving the kingside pawns free to march to victory. Since this game however, Remi has managed to bring home the full point against other more seasoned club members.
Young players to the fore
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
Although first place honours went to more experienced heads, the first Otago Chess Club tournament of the year drew attention to some of the younger club members' capabilities. Finishing just behind Hamish Gold and the writer in first place on 4½/6, 15 year old Patrick Dawson showed he is on a par with the club's best in scoring 4 points – the same score as club champion John Sutherland.
Playing in his first club event, new member Remi Ritchie (12) was paired against club President Alistair Newbould in the first round. Although the game eventually went with the older player, he was so impressed with Ritchie's play that he annotated the game for publication. So today's game features Remi Ritchie with the Black pieces against Alistair Newbould, who provided many of the comments.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 d5!?
An ancient counter-gambit to the Scotch game - black offers a pawn for open lines and an attack on White's king.
4. exd5 Qxd5
5. dxe5 Qxd1+
6. Kxd1 Bf5!?
Immediate pressure on the e-pawn by way of the pin 6 ... Bg4 was the preferred choice of World Champion Emanual Lasker in 1893, but the text is a useful developing move and keeps White under pressure.
7. Be3 O-O-O+
8. Nbd2 f6!
Black continues the theme of open lines and rapid development.
9. exf6 Nxf6
10. a3?! ---
Preventing 10 ... Nb4, but developing the white squared bishop would have been wiser, as the threat is not serious.
10. --- Ne4
11. Ke2? ---
Unpinning the knight this way costs a pawn.11 Bd3 was much better.
11. --- Nxd2
12. Nxd2 Bxc2
13. Rc1 Bd3+?!
A check for check's sake. Returning along the b1-h6 diagonal preserves Black's bishop, which is currently superior to its White counterpart.
14. Ke1 Bxf1
15. Rxf1 h6?!
Like White's 10th move this is designed to restrict the opponents play by preventing Bg5. However the theme of rapid development is being lost. Bg5 could have been prevented by15 ... Be7 developing the dark squared bishop immediately.
16. b4?! a6?!
Both sides miss the possibilty of 16... a5! breaking White's pawn structure and activating Black's bishop.
17. Ke2 Be7
18. Ne4 Rhe8
19. Nc5 Bxc5
The knight had a nice outpost on c5 and had eyes on e6, however Black was still in control of the game and this exchange is again in whites favour.
20. Rxc5 Ne5
The black knight is heading for d3, but 20 ... Nd4+! forces 21 Ke1 keeping the other white rook out of the game. White now brings the rook to c1 – safe from a knight fork due to the threat on c7.
21. Rfc1! c6
22. R5c3 Rd5
23. Kf1 Nd3
24. Rd1? Nb2??
Just when Black could have profited from his excellent play to this point he blunders a whole rook. Instead 24 ... Nxb4 wins a pawn outright thanks to the unprotected rook on d1.
25. Rxd5 Na4
Pinned pawns no longer support the piece they appear to protect. This is a very easy mistake to make and a sad way for this game to be resolved.
26. Rc2 Nb2
27. Bc1 Na4
28. Rd1 Rd8
29. Rxd8+ Kxd8
30. Re2 Nc3
31. Rd2+ Kc7
32. Bb2 Ne4
33. Re2 Nf6
34. Re7+ Kd6
35. Rxg7 Ne8
36. Rg6+ Kd7
With the fall of the h pawn the remainder of the game was routine, White eventually exchanging his rook for the knight leaving the kingside pawns free to march to victory. Since this game however, Remi has managed to bring home the full point against other more seasoned club members.
1-0
Solution: 1 Qd8+! Rxd8 2 Re8+! Kxe8 3 Nf6#.